Nest-box eob



Pae-ute June 3,

M W .ma iii a Z www w /VMM HANS NAGELSAKER, 0F GREAT FALLS, MONTANA.

NEST-BOX FOR HEN S.

Speccation'of Letters Patent.

intenten June 3, 1919.

Appncanon filed september 2e, 1917. serial No. 193,359.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HANS NAGELSAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Great Falls, in the county of Cascade and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in Nest-Boxes for Hens; and I do hereby declare the follow-V ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to nest boxes for hens, and, to this end, it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

As is well known, hens usually make their nests in dark places, and the object of the invention is to provide a nest box that is closed on all sides, except for a door opening, and which door opening is normally closed by a curtain v,arranged to be automatically raised and lowered by a hen going to and from her nest.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view of the invention in vertical section taken from the front to the rear thereof;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation with some parts sectioned on the line 2-2 Vof Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section taken on the irregular line 3-3 of Fig. 2 Vwith some parts broken away.

For the purpose of this case, it is thought necessary to show only the front vertical wall structure of the nest boxes 4,'and in which wall structure is formed a plurality of horizontally spaced door openings 5, each of which affords access to one of the nest boxes. A nest 6, in one of the nest boxes 4, is diagrammatically illustrated by means of broken lines in Fig. 1. Y

Surrounding each door opening 5, isa box-like door frame 7 which is detachably secured to the nest boxes 4 by coperating pairs of stud-equipped brackets 8 and socket brackets 9. The brackets 3 are secured to the lower inner corners of the door frame 7 and their depending studs are seated in the socket brackets 9 which are secured to the nest boxes 4.

To further secure each door frame 7 to the nest boxes 4, the horizontal flange of an angle bar 10 is secured to the top of said door frame, and its vertical flange has interlocking vertical sliding engagement with angle brackets 11 secured to the nest boxes 4. These angle brackets 11 are vertically spaced above the top of the door case 7 a distance sufficient to permit said door frame to be lifted, and thereby carry the brackets S out of interlocking engagement with the brackets 9. lith the brackets S and 9 sepa l thereto at 13. To the inner face of each side member of the door frame 7 are secured three horizontally spaced cleats 14 affording therebetween opposite pairs of vertical guide channels 15 and 16.

The trunnions 17 of a relatively large horizontal roller 18 extend into the guide channels 15 and are journaled in seats 19 formed in the side members of the door frame 7, just under the cover 12. Secured to the rollerv 18 and arranged to be wound thereon, is a curtain 2O which affords a door for the respective door opening 5. In the lower edge of the curtain 20, is a hem in which is mounted a rod 21, the ends of which extend into the guide channels 16. Y

A horizontal platform 22 is suspended for raising and lowering movement over Vthe base member of the door frame 7 by a pair of cables 23. The upper end portions of these cables 23 are attached to the ends of the roller 18 and arranged to be wound onto the trunnions V17 and unwound therefrom. The lower ends of the cables 23 are attached to eyes 24 secured to and projecting above the platform 22 on a line between the two guide strips 14. Horizontal stop cleats 25, secured to the inner faces of the side mem bers of the door frame 7, limit the lifting movement of the platform 22. Y Y

The rod 21 not only holds the curtain 20 straight and against horizontal swinging movement, but has sufficient weight to lift the platform 22 under the action of the cables 23 on the trunnions 17 and holds the same against the stop cleats 25. When the platform 22 is in its uppermost position, the lower edge of the curtain 20 just touches said platform, and thereby completely closes the door opening. Cut 1nthecurtam20, near the lower edge thereof, is a window .opening 26 which admits a small amount of light to the respective nest box.

The ends of the platform 22 are notched to afford clearance for the cleats 14, and secured to the intermediate portion of the underside of said platform is a transverse bar 27, the ends of which extend into the guide channels 15 and guide the platform 22, during its raising and lowering movement. Secured to the underside of the platform 22, are depending flanges 2S and 29 which, when the platform 22 is in its lowermost position, engage the base member of the door frame 7 and support said platform therefrom. The flange 2S extends along the rear edge of the platform 22 and the ange 29 extends centrally and forwardly from the flange 28. To permit the required forward tipping movement of the platform 22, Vthe forward end of the flange 29 is tapered at 30. By reference to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the walls of the guide channels 15, at their lower end portions, diverge to permit the angular turning movement of the bar 27, during the tilting of the platform The forward tipping movement of the platform is limited by the engagement of its rear edge with the stop cleat-s 25 and the engagement of its forward portion with beveled stop blocks 31 secured to the side members of the door frame 7. As the bevel 30 is the same as that of the stop blocks 31, the flange 29 engages the base member of the door frame 7, and also assists in limiting the forward tipping movement of the pla-tform 22. To lockthe curtain 20 drawn, there is secured to t-he cleats 14 forming the guide channel 16, horizontally alined pairs of eyes 32, through each pair of which, is inserted a pin 33. These eyes 32 are so arranged that the pins 33 extend transversely over the outer edge portion of the rod 21 when the same is in its lowermost position.

The operation of the invention may be briefly described as follows:

A hen, in going to the nest 6, steps upon the outer edge portion of the platform 22 and tips the same forward, as shown by broken lines in Fig. 1. The pins 33 are, of course, removed, This forward tipping movement of the platform 22 causes the rear edge portion thereof, to engage the stop cleats 25 Yas a fulcrum and the downward movement of the forward portion of said platform pulls the cables 23 down, and thereby causes the same to unwind from the trunnions 1T and rotate the roller 1S in a direction to wind the curtain thereon, and thereby raise the same. As the hen walks farther on the platform 22, the same assumes a'horizontal posit-ion, and, as she reaches the inner edge portion thereof, the forward end of the platform 22 will be raised under the action of the rod 21, and thereby cause said platform to sta-nd in a rearwardly inclined position. During the time the hen is standing on the platform 23, the curtain will be raised, but as soon as she stepstherefrom into the nest 6, said platform will be raised under the action of the rod 21 and the curtain 2O drawn thereby in front of the door opening The lien, on leaving the nest box 6 will be directed to the blatform 22 by the light opening 26, and upon stepping upon the rear portion of said platform, the same will be tipped rearward, at. which time, the front edge of said platform will engage the stop cleats 25 as a fulcrum and the downward movement of the platform 22 will pull the cables 23 down, unwind the same from the trunnions 17, and thereby rotate the roller 1S and wind the curtain 20 thereon to raise the same. The movement of the platform 22 with the hen walking thereon from the nest 6 will be just the reverse from that when she enters said nest, and when she steps from the platform 22, the curtain 2O is again drawn.

Setting hens are prevented from leaving their nests by inserting the pins 33 through the eyes 32, to lock the curtain drawn. At least once'a day, these pins 33 will have to be removed to permit the setting hen to leave the nest.

lVliat I claim is:

1. A nest box for hens having a door opening, a door frame for the door opening having in its sides pairs of guide channels, a roller, aI curtain attached to the roller, a tilting platform having intermediate end extensions projecting into one pair of said guide channels with freedom to turn on a horizontal axis, cables intermediately suspending the platform from the roller and arranged to be wound thereon during the unwinding of the curtain therefrom, and a rod secured to the lower edge of the curtain with its ends extending into the other pair of said guide channels and normally holdin the curtain drawn and the platform raised.

2. A nest box for hens having a door opening, a door frame for the door opening having in its sides pairs of guide channels, a roller, a curtainl attached to the roller, a tilting platform having intermediate end extensions projecting into one pair of said guide channels with freedom to turn on a horizontal axis, cables intermediately sus-- pending the platform from the roller and arranged to be wound thereon during the unwinding of the curtain therefrom; and means for limiting the tilting movement of the platform.

3. A nest box for hens having a door opening, a door frame for the door opening having in its sides pairs of guide channels, a

roller, a curtain attached to the roller, a ti1tthe platform and affording a fulorum for the 10 ing platform having intermediate end explatform during its tilting movement.

tensions projecting into one pair 0f said In testimony whereof I affix my signature lguide ohal-nnels Witlk1 freedom toi turp on a in presence of tWo Witnesses.

iorizonta axis, ca es interme iate y Susf pending the platform from the roller and HANS NAGELSAER arranged to be Wound thereon during the Witnesses;

unwinding of the curtain therefrom, and A. TROUSEN,

means for limiting the tilting movement of JOHN DYRLID.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

